I'm new at the butterfly stroke and struggle to do 6x33yds with a freestyle return(100 ft pool) in one workout. I do these with a full recovery (3 min). After that I'll have to switch to some other stroke because I'm pretty much shot.
What are typical workouts and distances that strong flyers do that I should try to build to? I'm thinking that 10x50's would be a great goal?
All the things Terry suggested are excellent and you should do them with or without fins. Pretend you're landing your chest on a pillow and keep your arms as relaxed as possible above the water. Terry is also right that you can get used to "flying" through the water with fins and then feel deflated when you take them off. So don't use them all the time. When I'm getting ready for a meet, I take them off and do 25s repeats without them to get back in the groove. Or expect that it might feel a little different when you take off the fins so your expectations about your times are in line. (Personally, I think it's about 10 seconds a 100 for SCY fly.)
I think the most important thing is not to do the stroke incorrectly. This is really crucial for fly, I think. And it is what people way more experienced than me say too. If you need fins, use them for awhile to learn the stroke. I'm a novice, but seem to do OK in meets even though I am a fin user, and my fly times have improved each meet. Sometimes it feels different than with fins, but people actually compliment me on my fly form (unlike free where I am ragged on about overrotating and whatnot). People give me grief all the time about fins, but they have many advantages. Getting better at fly and learning all the items on Terry's list is one of those advantages. Even George agrees. Which means he is living in 2005, not 1955.
All the things Terry suggested are excellent and you should do them with or without fins. Pretend you're landing your chest on a pillow and keep your arms as relaxed as possible above the water. Terry is also right that you can get used to "flying" through the water with fins and then feel deflated when you take them off. So don't use them all the time. When I'm getting ready for a meet, I take them off and do 25s repeats without them to get back in the groove. Or expect that it might feel a little different when you take off the fins so your expectations about your times are in line. (Personally, I think it's about 10 seconds a 100 for SCY fly.)
I think the most important thing is not to do the stroke incorrectly. This is really crucial for fly, I think. And it is what people way more experienced than me say too. If you need fins, use them for awhile to learn the stroke. I'm a novice, but seem to do OK in meets even though I am a fin user, and my fly times have improved each meet. Sometimes it feels different than with fins, but people actually compliment me on my fly form (unlike free where I am ragged on about overrotating and whatnot). People give me grief all the time about fins, but they have many advantages. Getting better at fly and learning all the items on Terry's list is one of those advantages. Even George agrees. Which means he is living in 2005, not 1955.
